Rotary engine



Feb. 9 1926, 1,572,541

J. s. LAWRENCE ROTARY ENGINE Filed May 1', 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 JS-Lazare 22 Ge;

Feb. 9 1926.

ROTARY ENGINE Filed May 1 1324 J. 5. LAWRENCE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 9, 1926. 1,572,541

J. 5. LAWRENCE ROTARY ENGINE Filed May 1. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 gwuem ioc J6. Law/s11 ca.

( 1 W, Gummy:

Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

JnMn'ss. LAWRENCE; orrwrn-rnnte; IDAHO-l ROTARY ENGl'n-nx Application fil d 'lvltty lg l924. Serial No. 710 3695 ZYO a Z'Z wi'mmr-z't' "may concern: I

Be it known that I, JAMESFS. LAWRENCE, it citizeir oii thc United States; .residin g' at Av-i11 Fells; inithe 'icounty'o f 'llwi'l ril ells end x 6 E State: ot Idtlho', have inventedi certain new' indi use'ful In'iproveinents1hrRoterycEngines; oat Wlrich the tcllowingiis & specificetielr.

Thepresent f invention relates :to internal combustion- 1 engines and has :I to 1' "its -J object te mount practicail yv all-l WOlk l'DgI parts to 1 revolve aro-und ei common axisia These parts are balanced aroun'cl saidlax-is andl serve to-. g-ether as 2n fly Wheel for the engi'i'ieir- An aelventege oit this arrangement is: that a the-engineuvill be sel f cooling.andllthat no water co-oli ng is necessery. Another object of E the invention is rito-so co-n'struetthe sa-m'e that the nunihenoi parts :1 is r brought doivn to inininnnniBandi'that'ec- 205 cordingly there is very little chance of i the engine getting out of order or: breaking: down";

In the 'aecoln aanying drawings: 1 Figure '1 is u"- sideelevation end partial section";

Fig-ure fzis a top planviewtl iereof;- Figure 3 is n section I along-line 3 3 0 1- Figure *1"; Y

Figure st 1 isa I partial section along line "vv 4 -4: Qt F-igure 1;

F igure-5 is -a fingmentary -side elevation of the. revolving disc;

Eiguretfise-tep plan-view of wstationary bearing;

Figure" 7 is an-end VieW -Ot Figure 6, and Figure S-ise" fragmentary section along: line" 8'-8 of- Figure In I the drewin'gs, reference nunieral 10 rep-resents'estand for 'the engine 5 consisting: ot-two trienguler sideframes 11 nndlQ each forming a' bear-ing fibre-main sheiit liin In the-fremell is secured a 'eleeve lienol'osing 21- portioni- 0i the=sheft 13 and having its inner end substanti all-y midway between the frames 11 andf12; At tl ie inner end of this sleeve is provided a ball 'beari'ng 'le concen tric- With the axis of the shaft lii 'end imine dietely back of this bell bearin'g is-- fur-- nish'ed' en eccentrie 16els0- carrying 'eball bearing 17. y

Uppir'tliis eccentric 16 ie-mounted e -slide 18 engaging jth-e bell beeringi. '17 kind upon the concentrically mounted ball bearing; 15 is *rotetably fitted" a fulcrum member] or yoke 19. At-eech endof'the slide 18,-es at -11, is pivot-ede rocking lever 20 which has hinged connection; as at 21, with apit-men 22 ior nivorlring piston n3 the lever being;-v fulcruniedsat 42011 the adjacent end of-the' yoke 19. It is ed-vantegeous to keeptheeo pivotpjoints il and-ei2-as close aspjossible to the-exis-ot theshait 18-. e

A disc 2% is keyed or in any other suitablemanner rigid-1y secured on the 'mein shaft" l3,' as best seen in Fig; 3;, Upon' th-is disc are mounted Working cylinders :25, two be ingashownin the drawings at-dienietricel-lyiopposite points thereof and eq-u-i-d'istently" positioned from its-axis: Itdsevident-thet the number of Working it cylinders may} 100,70 varied and that any; niu1nber'111a3i heusech Each r cylinder is provided 1 with r the" usual inlet port 26 end-outlet port-27; the latter beingsopened by the piston 28 st the end of eachstroke in the-usuztl"manner. Art 28 is Sl'1OWl1-1SPfllli pluglend et-29 nself-aeting; air' inletvalve ivhich is closed by spring: 30'. Overthe'end'of the cylinder carrying. the spark plug: and the air inlet-'vel've is" furnished-n hood 31 forming-an: eir funnelr that will collect air When-the"engine is 1'0-- teted in the direction of -2L110\V-'X5-See'*Flg--I ure 1, inorder to rush air into'the cylinder when the exhaust port Q? is uncovered by; the" piston. Asthe cylindersnre 1'OiiELtGCl 2Lt'2tconsiderable: speed there will generally beno need for a '=W3i361 "cooling system and-to facilitate the coolingi'of the: cylinderythe seine-is provided with 'rediatingrfins 32, see- Figure i; The sheft 31311218 a central bore 33 extendingnpartaway" inte theshaft and this-bore is suitably connected with' e -fuel': source; the fuel being fed into-the ibore b'y gravity At is shown" :1 port leading; from said :b-ore 33 and runningzthrouglrthe hub of 'thePd'isc' 24 and e feedn oipefififi -con-' nects this port a with an injection pump :36 secured nt the inlet port 26 of :th'e cylinder: The pump: iS SYDCl LFOHlZBCl :to inject the fuel" into the cylinder at the proper tll11e"111dthis may he eccon'ip'lished.aby v an operating finger 45 provided on stationary part 01? the engine 7 A double eon'duct'orf87 is: iiirnished for the spark plug 28 and the ignition is xtllnBCl' by CODtZtClflfHIlllSllGCl on the inain shaiit li.

As eh 'eady stntedinomveter' coolii1g::sys-- tern is:consideredinecessary for this engine if found necessary, in which case it may be supplied to a central bore 39 in the main shaft 13. It is evident that this bore does not reach the fuel supply bore 33 butthat a partition is left between the inner ends of the bores in the shaft. From the bore39 the water will be drawn into a jacket furnished around each cylinder.

The slide 18 is guided upon the disc 24 between lugs 46 projecting from said disc. Thus the slide is made to partake in the revolution of the disc, while at the same time it obtains a reciprocating movement in diametrical direction thereon through -its connection with the eccentric 16.

At 40 is shown a belt pulley for driving the machinery for which theengine has been erected.

The operation of the engine is as follows:

When the fuel mixture is exploded in the cylinder with the piston 23 in the position shown in section in Figure 1, the forces act in both directions against the end of the piston and the end of the cylinder. This will cause the disc 24 to revolve in the direction of arrow X, Figure 1, while the lever 20 is oscillated around its fulcrum 19. This action is communicated through the pivot pin 41 to the slide 18 which in turn acts on the eccentric 16 so that the disc in this manner is kept in motion. At the time the explosion takes place in the upper cylinder shown in Figure 1', the lower cylinder is simultaneously being exhausted. The fuel injection, compression and exhfluist, taking place in the usual manner in t e cylinders, need not further be described.

It will be evident that the slide '18 during one revolution of the disc 24, while partaking in said revolution, will make one reciprocation from right to left and return in diametrical direction of the disc. The yoke 19 also partakes in the revolution of the disc 24 but onaccount of its connection through the pivot pin 42 with the rocking lever 20 willalso obtain a slight oscillation as regards a diametrical line of the disc 24.

On account of the cylinders being situated at a comparatively great radial distance from the axis of revolution, the force of explosion will exert a greater leverage than in ordinary engines. The relative position of the working parts is suchthat the explosion occurs at the point of greatest possible leverage.

In the drawings, the disc 24 is shown with working cylinders only on one side, but it is evident that they may be supplied on both sides thereof, particularly for high power engines.

lVhen necessary and in orderto facilitate assembling, the slide 18 as well as the yoke 19 are each made in two parts and split along diametrical lines. Lugs 50 and 51 have been shown where the halves are joined together and clamping bolts 52 and 53, respectively, through the lugs.

Instead of providing the sleeve 14 with an eccentric 16 for the slide 18, it is evident that a crank would serve the same purpose.

The engine may naturally be constructed as a two-stroke cycle engine or as a fourstroke cycle engine as found most suitable for different conditions.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a revoluble member, a working cylinder carried by said member, a stationary bearing for said member, a piston in said working cylinder, a member to rotate therewith and slidable radially thereon mounted on said revoluble member, a' rocking lever having pivotal connection at its opposite ends with said piston and said slidable member respectively, a fulcrum element for said rocking lever adapted to rotate with said revoluble member and fixed relative thereto, and means mounted on the stationary bearing to reciprocate said slidable member.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a shaft revolubly mounted, working cylinders positively connected with said shaft at uniform radial distances therefrom, pistons for said cylinders, a slidable member mounted on a diameter of the shaft to rotate therewith, a rocking lever for each piston having pivotal connection at one end therewith and at the opposite end with said slidable member, an arm mounted upon a diameter of said shaft, and fixed relative thereto, said rocking levers being respectively fulcrumed on the opposite endsof said arm, and means for reciprocating said slidable member diametrically with relation to said shaft.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a shaft revolubly mounted, working cylinders positively connected with said shaft at uniform radial distances therefrom, pistons for said cylinders, a slidable member mounted on a diameter of said shaft to rotate therewith,a rocking lever for each piston having pivotal connection at one end therewith and at the opposite end with said slidable member respectively, an. arm mounted upon a diameter of said shaft and fixed relative thereto, said rocking levers being respectively fulcrumed on the opposite ends of said arm, and means for reciprocating said slidable member diametrically with relation to said shaft; said means comprising a stationary bearing for said shaft, and an eccentric fixed on the bearing and in engagement with said slidable member. I

4. In an internal combustion engine, a shaft revolubly mounted, a disc secured concentrically onsaid shaft, working cylinders rigidly secured upon said disc at uniform radial distances from its axis, pistons for said cylinders, a slidable member, mounted diametrically on said disc to rotate therewith, a rocking lever for each piston having pivotal connection at one end therewith and at the opposite end with said slidable member respectively, an arm concentrically mounted upon said shaft, and fixed relative to the disc, said rocking levers being respectively fulcrumed on the opposite ends of said arm, and means for reciprocating said slidable member diametrically with relation to said shaft.

5. In an internal combustion engine, a shaft revolubly mounted, a disc secured con centrically on said shaft, working cylinders rigidly secured on a side of said disc at uniform radial distances from its axis, pistons for said cylinders, a slidable member mounted diametrically on the disc to rotate therewith, a rocking lever for each piston having pivotal connection at one end therewith and at its opposite end with said sliding member respectively, an arm concentrically mounted upon said shaft, said rocking levers being respectively fulcrumed on opposite ends of said arm, and means for reciprocating said slidable member diametrically with relation to said shaft; said means comprising a stationary bearing for said shaft, and an eccentric on said bearing in engagement with said slidable member.

6. In an internal combustion engine, a shaft revolubly mounted, a disc secured concentrically 011 said shaft, working cylinders rigidly secured on a side of said disc at uniform radial distances from its axis, pistons for said cylinders, a slidable member mounted diametrically on the disc to rotate therewith, guides on said disc for said slidable members, a rocking lever for each pistion having pivotal conection at one end therewith and at the opposite end with said sliding member respectively, an arm c011- centrically mounted upon said shaft, said rocking levers being respectively fulcrumed on the opposite ends of said arm, and means for reciprocating said slidable member dia metrically with relation to said shaft; said means comprising a stationary bearing; for said shaft, and an eccentric 011 the bearing in engagement with said slidable member.

In an internal combustion engine, a shaft revolubly mounted, a disc secured concentrically on said shaft, working cylinders rigidly secured 011 a side of said disc at uniform radial distances from its axis, pistons for said cylinders, said cylinders being provided with suitable intake and exhaust orts 'arm concentrically mounted upon said shaft,

said rocking levers being respectively fulcrumed on the opposite ends of said arm, and means for reciprocating said slidable member diametrically with relation to said shaft; said means comprising a stationary bearing for said shaft, and an eccentric on the bearing in engagement with said slidable member.

8. In an internal combustion engine, a revoluble member having a working cylinder, a stationary bearing for said revoluble member, a piston in said working cylinder, a member slidably mounted on a diameter of said revoluble member, a rocking lever having pivotal connection at one end with said piston and at the opposite end with said slidable member respectively, and a fulcrum element for said rocking lever adapted to rotate with said revoluble member, said slidable member having eccentric connection with said stationary bearing.

In testimony whereof I aihx by signature.

JAMES S. LAWRENCE. [n s] 

